Deltona men accused of creating time-share resort to defraud investors

Wednesday

Oct 10, 2012 at 7:31 AM

A Deltona man and his partner created a timeshare property scheme to defraud investors, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

PATRICIO G. BALONASTAFF WRITER

A Deltona man and a partner were arrested and accused of creating a time-share scheme to defraud investors of more than $30,000, according to an investigator with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Scott Allen Bass, 32, and Anthony Michael Roberts, 24, were each charged with 13 counts of scheme to defraud, 13 counts of grand theft and one count of operating an unlicensed telemarketing operation, according to court records.

A charging affidavit provided by the State Attorney's Office states Bass and Roberts created a time-share resort -- Elite Timeshare Solutions LLC -- and "employed an advance pay scheme to defraud" time-share customers.

The affidavit filed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services listed the location of the corporation as 1750 S. Volusia Ave., Suite 2, in Orange City.The men, who listed themselves as managers on corporate papers, financial records and other documents, ripped off 13 out-of-state people, according to the investigator.

The scheme was carried out from Oct. 2, 2009 through Dec. 1, 2010, the affidavit shows.

Once the corporation was formed, Bass and Roberts solicited 13 separate people about advertising and selling their personal time-share property.

The victims, who are time-share owners, were called by Bass and Roberts, who told them they had buyers for their time shares, the report said.

The unsuspecting victims were then instructed to send money to Elite Timeshare Solutions for closing costs, taxes and fees associated with the sale of their time share.They sent money to Bass and Roberts through electronic deposits from their personal credit cards and made wire transfers from their banks totaling $31,672 to complete the transactions. None of the 13 people who gave money received any of the services they paid for, the investigator wrote in his report.

Bass has previously worked as a telemarketer for the company United Resort Marketing Inc., the investigator said.

Neither Bass, Roberts nor Elite Timeshare Solutions were licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. During the criminal investigation, Bass and Roberts were in control of the telemarketing company, the charging document said.